1. The Avengers (9.25/10) Marvel's 2nd best movie ever after IM1.
2. The Amazing Spider-Man (7.5/10) easily the equal of the best of the Raimi series.
3. I don't consider Chronicle a superhero film but if I did it's be a (7/10). Could've been higher if it weren't for the found footage format that I hate.
4. The Dark Knight Rises (5.5/10) quite a bit of a mess but had some good elements to it. Better than it's predecessor at least.

Given the condition presented, "The Avengers" is the best Super Hero/Comic Book film of the year given the time it's taken to get to that point and the fun and novelty of seeing all of those characters together. That means a tremendous amount to the sub-genre of comic book adaptations itself.

That being said, I found "The Dark Knight Rises" to be the better Film.

"No matter how small I am--no matter how hopeless everything seems--I mustn't give up! My size doesn't matter! Even my life doesn't matter! No one can win--every battle, but--no man should fall-- without a struggle!"

Given the condition presented, "The Avengers" is the best Super Hero/Comic Book film of the year given the time it's taken to get to that point and the fun and novelty of seeing all of those characters together. That means a tremendous amount to the sub-genre of comic book adaptations itself.

That being said, I found "The Dark Knight Rises" to be the better Film.

That's the thing about the movie, they are clearly different movies.

The Dark Knight Trilogy tries to transcend the genre, while The Avengers, as Whedon's intentions, was to show the best of the genre and be fully steeped in it.

Some of the technical flaws of Avengers still irk me to no end. The cinematography, the - at times - cheap looking sets. Ugh. I don't need every superhero movie to transcend the genre, but it always felt like there were a couple of crew members on Avengers that thought they were working on a TV set and not a 300 million dollar movie.

That has more to do Whedon being a tv director more than a movie director. It's the same issue with Tom Hooper. Some directors still direct movies composition wise as if they're directing a tv show, though I think since Avengers had a lot more of that blockbuster spectacle to it, it wasn't as bad a problem with Whedon as it was with Hooper.

That's probably the right attitude to go in with, honestly. I liked it a lot, but it's been getting way too over-hyped for what it is, in my opinion. Watch Dredd with no expectations and you'll probably enjoy it plenty, but if you flick on the DVD thinking it's going to be mind blowing, you'll probably be disappointed.

The Dark Knight Trilogy tries to transcend the genre, while The Avengers, as Whedon's intentions, was to show the best of the genre and be fully steeped in it.

This is probably the perfect thing to say about The Dark Knight Trilogy and The Avengers. Both are all in good nature and great films and that's why TDKR and Avengers are my favorite CBMs of all time as well as they really speak to me as CBMs because they're powerful in their own ways.

2012 is the only year I can think of in which EVERY hero we saw (and most of the villains) had been on the big screen before.

__________________Michael Joseph Jackson 1958-2009. Gone Too Soon.
May he finally find the peace that eluded him in life.There is only ONE Spider-Man. His name is Peter Parker. He's an adult, and he's straight!

This is probably the perfect thing to say about The Dark Knight Trilogy and The Avengers. Both are all in good nature and great films and that's why TDKR and Avengers are my favorite CBMs of all time as well as they really speak to me as CBMs because they're powerful in their own ways.

2012, much like 2008, shows the how versatile the genre can be. I think the more important question is where the genre can from here after 2012. I think there's much space for even more unique properties to display different world and different feels. I can see more genre blending and deconstruction with the genre.

I also feel like it's time for more risks to be taken, aka the aforemention deconstruction of the genre and Rated R versions of actual superhero movies. Not a grounded punisher or a non superpowered world like Kickass, or a one shot movie like Watchmen or V for Vendetta, but an actual Rated R superhero movie. I doubt it, but I do hope The Wolverine is rated R. I feel like we can finally see Wolverine unleashed if it is.

The Avengers success means we will see more Marvel heroes on screen eventually (though I wish we had more variety of newer heroes and sequels), and it gives more opportunity to greater show the diversity of the Marvel Universe. Iron Man shows more the tech and corporate espionage world; Captain America shows more of the straight political thriller; Thor goes more into a Norse myth/epic hybrid; and Guardians digs into the cosmic universe of Marvel. I expect SHIELD to explore different areas of the Marvel Universe and give way for more superheroes to show up.

I think the good news about post Avengers 2 is that we will get even more diversity after that with Ant-Man, Dr. Strange, and Heroes for Hire (the latter two are in development while the former is pretty much ready to go) for the Spy, Magic, and street crime genres respectively.

This is not a Marvel vs. DC thing, but I'm saying that there is much branching out for superhero properties to be done in the coming years.

One thing I loved about Avengers-over all other comic book movies-is that it was the one movie that felt most like it took place within the Marvel Universe rather than a separate cinematic universe to which the characters are transported.

__________________Michael Joseph Jackson 1958-2009. Gone Too Soon.
May he finally find the peace that eluded him in life.There is only ONE Spider-Man. His name is Peter Parker. He's an adult, and he's straight!

I think the good news about post Avengers 2 is that we will get even more diversity after that with Ant-Man, Dr. Strange, and Heroes for Hire (the latter two are in development while the former is pretty much ready to go) for the Spy, Magic, and street crime genres respectively.

Add Black Panther in the mix(to basically give a solid foreign POV aspect to the Marvel Universe) and it should be good.